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4 Dollars Bank of Washington - North Carolina
| Issuer | Bank of Washington (North Carolina) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1851-1864 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 4 Dollars (4 USD) |
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| Obverse description | Series A note. At left, a portrait vignette of George Washington. The central field carries two principal vignettes: a Native American family group and, separately, children in a classroom study scene with a tutor, the two vignettes divided by a central shield. The denomination counter "FOUR" appears at centre in bold letterpress with a vivid vermillion underprint. The note bears manuscript serial number and date lines, with the issuing bank's obligation text engraved in the lower panel. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | NORTH CAROLINA FOUR No.______________ On Demand THE BANK OF WASHINGTON Will Pay FOUR dollars to the bearer, Washington__________ 18___ ____________________________________ _________________________ American Bank Note Co. New-York Cash. Pres |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Washington operated out of Washington, Beaufort County, a small but active port town on the Pamlico River. The $4 denomination was a peculiarly American habit of the antebellum free banking period — designed partly to frustrate counterfeiters, who were less likely to prepare plates for odd amounts, and partly to produce change combinations that larger round-denominate notes couldn't cover cleanly.
The American Bank Note Company's colored underprint security feature on this series was among the more sophisticated anti-counterfeiting measures available to provincial issuers in the 1850s. The long date range reflects the note's use through the Civil War years, though by 1861 North Carolina's secession made any Bank of Washington issue of questionable practical value outside Confederate territory.